The Collinsville Pirates won their fourth consecutive area championship, beating the Wheeler Mustangs 28-6 on Nov. 21.
The Pirates piled up 382 yards of total offense and smothered the Mustangs en route, punching their ticket to the regional semifinals for the fourth year in a row.
Collinsville received the opening kickoff and wasted no time at all, needing only four plays to find the end zone as Paxton Davidson raced untouched through the Wheeler defense for a 60-yard touchdown.
Kicker Isaiah Smith nailed the point after, putting the Pirates on top 7-0 with less than a minute and a half expired from the game clock.
Wheeler matriculated the ball into Pirate territory on the ensuing possession, but three straight incomplete passes led to a turnover on downs at the Collinsville 23-yard line.
The Pirates found the end zone even quicker on their next drive, with quarterback Paxton finding receiver Chad Davidson for a 65-yard touchdown pass, extending Collinsville’s lead to 14-0 after Smith made the extra point.
The Pirates’ defense continued to stifle the Mustangs’ offense, holding them to 58 yards of offense in the first half.
Defensive lineman Russell Carney and defensive back Chase Sheppard each had a drive-ending sack.
The Pirate offense kept clicking, scoring their third first-half touchdown with a 12-play drive that ended with an 11-yard rushing score from Sheppard as the teams headed to the locker rooms at the end of the half with Collinsville leading 21-0.
Wheeler would control the time of possession in the third quarter, running 18 plays to Collinsville’s five plays, and finally found the end zone near the end of the third quarter when Israel Andrade threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to Abraham Sigala.
The point after was no good, and the fourth quarter began with Collinsville leading 21-6.
The Pirates closed the corral gate on the Mustangs midway through the final quarter when Paxton hit Jaxon Spivey for his second touchdown pass of the night, returning Collinsville’s lead to 21 points.
The Mustangs had one more drive but failed to find the end zone, and the Pirates took the 28-6 victory.
Paxton finished the night completing 13 of 19 passes for 178 yards and 2 touchdowns and rushing for 77 yards and a touchdown.
Chad led the Pirates with 104 receiving yards and a touchdown, while Sheppard led the way on the ground with 113 yards rushing and a touchdown.
Collinsville will meet the Lindsay Knights in the regional semifinals at 1 p.m. Friday in Springtown.
Assistant editor Martin Edwards contributed
to this report.
